Settling In

This week's post is an excerpt from Fall 2014 student Caroline Wells' blog "Always Blooming." Caroline is a junior at William Jewell College, studying Nonprofit Leadership.

Caroline takes a break in Monteverde

   As I continue to live in my new home with the Garita family, and learn from them, make silly mistakes and laugh at myself, I have come to think more and more about the importance of each and every human being that exists on this earth. (I know this sounds like some amateur attempt at a grandiose and inspiring analysis of humanity, but it’s not. Hear me out.)
   Every day we pass hundreds of people and see hundreds of faces on the street, in stores, at coffee shops, etc. If I were walking down the streets of San Jose, simply observing or on a mission to locate a certain tienda, I might pass faces that look similar to those of my host family. I wouldn’t think twice about it. But when you think about it, that person has an entire story, an entire life with passions and dreams and things that they are working hard to achieve.
   My host brother studies so much and is such a hard worker, and he has lots of funny quirks, he loves a lot of pop culture, and he is also so kind and desires to make me feel at home. I wouldn’t know this just by passing him by on the street.
   My host sister is incredibly patient and easy to talk to (in Spanish, which is a stretch for me sometimes), and she is a very talented interior designer, though you wouldn’t know because she doesn’t ever brag about it. She loves for everything around her to be neat and orderly, but wants me to be sure that it doesn’t bother her when my clothes aren’t stacked as neatly as hers. 
    I don’t know exactly where I am going with this, I just know that as I’m settling in, I see the value of living with a family and being invited into their lives. Although at times difficult and challenging, it is a very beautiful experience to be able to jump into the culture and experience true Costa Rican hospitality in this way.